The Resistance
by plaguemysoul
Summary: In a world where vampire-human relationships is illegal and punishable by true death & imprisonment, Sookie embarks on a hidden romance with vampire Eric. She sneaks away, they meet at his house after dark, knowing in the back of her mind that one day soon their secret will be exposed. How far will they fight to stay together? EricxSookie. AU. Violence, Lemons.
1. Chapter 1

**Hello, guys. I've just learned about fanfiction after I was looking up online and stumbled across one in the True Blood catagory. I am a fan of the series, and especially Eric and Sookie, so here is my attempt to write my own. I'm not sure if it will be any good, its probably terrible. **

**But this takes place in a world where vampires are victim of hate attacks, and the law that prevents a human and vampire to be together. Sookie and Eric are forbidden lovers in a way. They meet each other after dark, knowing one day soon their secret will be exposed and bad things will come their way. It was inspired by the song The Resistance by Muse. It just wouldn't leave my head, the idea. I hope you'll enjoy, and I would absolutely love to hear your thoughts on whether or not I ought to continue on this!**

* * *

_**The Resistance**_

How could something so pure and gentle, such as love, possibly be wrong? It was something Sookie couldn't understand. There was enough hate and prejudice in the world; Enough terrorism, greed, and murder attacks spurned on by ignorance, and hate. So, how could loving someone possibly be wrong?

And yet, the government and those living in resentful hatred, were deeming the love she had for a particular person, was morally unjust?

It wasn't easy loving a man in secret. Especially when he was as understanding and loyal, and affectionate as vampire Eric Northman was to Sookie.

There were plenty of times when she had wanted to gush about him to her closest of friends. And yet, fear of judgment and imprisonment kept her lips sealed.

No one could have possibly understood the relationship she had with the vampire.

Maybe, one day, she might have wanted him as her husband. He had all the right qualities a suitable husband or boyfriend would have possessed; His only few fatal flaws was that he came with a pair of fangs, which- depending on his mood- extended visibly if you happened to look close enough, and he had a penchant for bottled, synthetic blood. As far as Sookie was concerned, he was your average, day-to-day, hard-working male- except that their time together was limited down to late night meetings in secrecy underneath a bed of dazzling stars and a shining moon.

He had all the characteristics of a normal man; Bones, flesh, blood... He was temperamental and hot-headed at times. He could be Sookie's worst enemy and best friend, at the drop of a hat. He could be talkative one evening- in touch with his feelings- and on another, moody and desiring nothing more than to sit with her in silence, while he dwelled on certain events that happened years ago.

But that opportunity of ever sharing a decent, exposed life with him, as her husband or boyfriend, was taken away from her. The government had taken that right of will away, almost as if being in such a relationship was something indecent and vulgar. A relationship shared between vampire and human was considered taboo.

Tonight, she ran as soon as she finished her shift at work. She was anticipating the very moment she saw him again. She often visited after work, and arrived home at her grandmother's far too late of a morning, but she had learned to become very convincing with her lies over time. The lies were far less painful than the truth. Another turn into the yard, she finally saw his fairly large house in the distance. The lights were lit on the porch. She took a deep breath, and slowed into a light walk, the instance she saw him. Her heart was thumping in her ears, due to her sudden burst of exertion to meet him precisely not a minute over seven, just as darkness had fallen and he had awoken from his daytime slumber underground in his coffin.

She found him sitting on the top porch step, still as a cardboard cut-out, eyes planted on the glass bottle of synthetic blood he was holding and nursing in his lap. Perhaps he had sensed her near proximity a moment later, because he set his bottle down by the railing post, his eyes swept over the yard eagerly, and once they fell on her, he rose to his magnificent, full, six-feet height, stepping down the last few. He started to approach her, grinning broadly. Then, a few meters away, he stopped cold, opening his arms out to her.

"Jump, Sookie."

Without another word, she ran lightly to him on the grass and sprang up into his arms. He held her in the air at arm's length effortlessly, twirled her around, and she felt light as a feather, so blissfully content, her long hair cascading around her face. They laughed happily. He was the Johnny to her Baby. Carefully, he lowered her back down onto the ground and put his arms around her, drawing her in close, her head resting on his chest.

Sookie felt she had truly arrived home again.

They held each other tightly for an extended moment; Sookie rubbing his shoulders, until she leaned back to look up at him.

"Look at you." His voice was tender, as he rested his forehead flat against hers. "In your waitress clothes, and all."

She smiled and reached out for his hand to hold. He accepted, interlacing his fingers through hers. They started walking together at a relaxed and easy pace, watching one another with eyes that never dared to stray; neither wanting to break the peaceful silence, just content in it, and in each other. They didn't know how long a length of time they had left to themselves, before their eventual separation again but Sookie wanted to savor it for as long as humanly possible. It was almost liberating to her; Not having to put her tiring mental guard up. With telepathy, she found she could hear any humans thoughts from within a five-mile radius. Luckily, with vampires, she couldn't. Everything was quiet and relaxing between them. The only thoughts she could hear presently, was her own echoed ones.

He glanced back the way she had entered apprehensively. "Did anyone notice you, Lover?" he asked cautiously, often the first question he habitually asked her whenever they managed to come together of an evening.

"No. At least, not that I know of. It's pretty quiet out tonight."

He nodded, and the two walked for a moment in more silence, the gravel crunching underneath their shoes.

"Did you drink some True Blood, before I got here?" She felt strange, as she often did, when presenting the question to him so casually. But, in all things considered, it was a fairly regular topic for them.

"Yes, I was only halfway through one right now, before you arrived," he answered honestly. She laughed underneath her breath weakly, feeling weirdly pleased by that.

She peered back the way they had began walking, staring at the faint dark outline of a tree, a frown forming on her lips in worry. She could feel his eyes on her as she stared off in that direction.

He squeezed her hand. "What is it, Sookie?" he asked quietly, genuine concern showing. "Are you doubting whether or not you were followed?"

She forced her eyes back onto him. His blonde hair almost looked silver in the moonlight.

"No, it isn't that at all." She smiled up at him, even though she knew she wasn't being very convincing. She hadn't the slightest clue on what to tell him about the impromptu arrangement her grandmother had made to head out on a date with William Compton, or where to even start, no less.

"Sookie?" He stepped closer. He touched her hand, and she looked away again.

A tight uneasiness settled in her stomach. She didn't know how he would take to the news.

She hesitated again. But then realized she'd be thanking herself later for telling him so early on. After all, she didn't feel he was the type of man she had to deliberately hide things from. "My gran set me up on a date..." she finally said, trailing off in embarrassment. He didn't say anything in response for a very long moment, but she could feel his eyes resting on her. Sookie had her disputations about her grandmother's suggestion; She didn't want to date anyone else, she didn't want to see anyone else. Eric was more than enough for her.

"An arranged date with whom?" She felt the tension lift off her shoulders, in an amazing way; His voice did not give away an ounce of what he was feeling in regards to it. He didn't sound angry, but he didn't seem too pleased, neither. He seemed positively neutral.

She answered automatically. It seemed a lot easier now that she had gotten past the most difficult starting-point to the conversation. She was now relieved it was out in the open between them. "A human."

"And are you attracted to this human?"

Sookie thought back to William Compton this afternoon when her grandmother called into Merlotte's with him in tow by the arm. She had introduced the pair, and looked on enthusiastically when they made pleasant, somewhat awkward conversation. Her grandmother clearly wanted them to get along, but was Sookie actually attracted to the man? She thought it over for a minute. It was hard to say. She didn't know the man well at all. All she had learned from their brief conversation, was that he was one of the most sought-after defense lawyers in Louisiana. His looks were pleasant enough, and he seemed reserved in manner. But no man could ever really be in that same league as what Eric was to her. No man could even remotely resemble him- in both looks and personality-wise. She thought back to when her and Eric had first met, and the way he had looked at her, so intently with such longing. All he had to do, was look at her in that particular light, and it had officially sealed the deal and spoiled her interests in other men for good.

"Not really. I wasn't even interested in going out on a date with him, but gran kind of insisted."

"Then, you know what you should do." He gently took each of her shoulders in his hands, making her face him more directly. "Don't let anyone walk all over you. Stand up to your grandmother, Sookie. Don't let it compromise your own happiness. Think always of yourself first."

"I could do that, sure. I could stand up to my grandmother. But then... I would be compromising her own happiness. I want gran to be happy, Eric. I don't like disappointing her."

"Well, tough shit. We can't please everybody, lover. The moment you cease trying, the easier it will be. It isn't selfish putting your own needs before others. It's called being self-reliant. Please yourself, not anybody else. At the end of the day, your happiness is all that matters. Your human life is too short, time is ticking away day by day. It is too valuable to live it in regret."

She nodded slowly, trusting he was right. He always was.

Now that was one of the many reasons she was attracted to Eric so much; Though he looked young, and had been turned into a vampire at the age of thirty-four, he was a walking-talking contradiction within himself. She hadn't ever met another man quite like him. He was reasonable, straight-forward, and had gained a lot of insight over the centuries. He offered her the moral support she wouldn't be able to find otherwise, and he made her see the perspective she mightn't have ever considered before. There was so much more to him than what was seen to the eye on the outside. He could also be an irritating thorn in her side sometimes, but along with the wisdom, and his endless patience and understanding, it was a powerfully erotic combination. All that, and his body, of course. He was tall, strong, and handsome in his own way; Sookie loved the cleft in the middle of his chin, the way whenever he looked at her his bluish eyes seemed to reach right in to the very back of her brain... But above all this, she thought she liked his voice, most of all; Deep and husky, a voice that belonged on a radio station. She never understood what sexual desire was, until she met him. Or the appeal of physical pain when being bitten, which was oddly sensual, and tantalizing in certain sensitive places.

"What?"

She felt her insides squirm when Eric's voice suddenly brought her back into the present. She realized she was just looking at him while they walked leisurely around the back yard of his house, and that she hadn't said anything for however long he had spoken before, educating her.

"I'm just thinking," she whispered quietly, and she read in his eyes that he knew, more or less, along the lines of just what she was thinking about. Something about him, the sight of him, the way he moved gracefully, silently, always tended to awaken something within her while being near him. She didn't know why that was exactly, but he constantly made her feel it. His eyes lingered on hers for a second, and he brought his hand over to her face, stroking her cheek with his fingers.

"It's raining, Sookie. We better get inside." He said it even before the pitter-patter of gentle rain began. Sookie lifted her head to peer up at the sky, and realized he was right; Black clouds were rolling over the brightly lit moon, and an instance later, she felt a small drop land on her forehead.

Sookie enjoyed the rain. She enjoyed the sun more, yes, because her favorite thing to do was sunbathing of an early morning, and maintaining her tan. But as far now, she was loving the rain. It came on so suddenly; A few splatters turned into a full, robust sheet of rain and, within an instance, the pair of them were soaked, their clothes sticking to their skin.

Sookie watched the rain pellet diagonally around them, and she felt oddly free as a bird and careless. All worries she previously had, were gone.

"Sookie," she heard Eric yell over the rain, his voice muffled, "Let's get inside!"

He grabbed her hand and tried to steer her into the direction of his porch desperately. But Sookie did not want that. She wriggled her hand out from underneath his, and he turned back to look at her, his hair and face sopping wet and dripping all over.

"Sookie? What are you doing?"

She grinned at him and let her head fall back for a while to let the water hit her face. She knew it was probably foolish of her, and that she would possibly catch a cold later, but she couldn't find it within herself to care. Everything was perfect tonight. Eric was with her, she could be herself as she often could around him. Perfection.

The rain began to come down even harder, and sensing Eric's frustration, she allowed him to take her hand again. This time she didn't pull away. She let him guide her through the steady, pouring rain, until she could manage to see the porch lights coming into view. It was hard to see through the rain and her eyes felt wet and blurry.

She could hear Eric panting loudly as he went to climb up the porch steps and take her with him for coverage underneath the roof. Just as he reached the top step, she released his hand and stepped back into the rain. She ran her hands through her hair, feeling how wet it was. And then she laughed to herself loudly, breathless and full of joy.

She felt a warmth spread all over her ice-cold, shivering body, as she saw Eric standing by the steps through the beads of rain. His white, see-through shirt was sticking to him, almost as if it was a second skin, and she could see every defined muscle and his nipples through the shirt. She felt she wanted to kiss him in the rain, she felt she wanted him to make love to her in it. He certainly didn't seem to have any boundaries when it came to being adventurous in their sex life.

She beckoned him to come back down into the rain, and after a second of hesitation, he did.

He stood close to her, though not touching her, and Sookie watched his chest rise and fall with every rapid undulation he took, as he looked down at her. His hands were dangling at his sides, and she suddenly felt tempted to coerce them into action in touching her, touching her everywhere he could find, but she fought against that part with all her might.

But then, making her wish come true, he cupped her wet face and swooped down to kiss her roughly on the lips. She brought her numb hands up to his face, and brushed her fingers through his hair when he pulled back to look at her with hazy, blue eyes. He licked his wet lips, and then it went on. A whimper rose in her throat when he guided her backwards into the old, peeling side of the weatherboard house, and her eyes closed and her lips parted when he kissed her neck, up the side of her jaw, her chin, and finally, each eyelid. Everything was far too wet, but the sensation of his mouth seemed to linger on all the places they had touched, tingling her, heating her from the chill.

This was an act of defiance. This was rebellion. This was love. This was something that could get either one of them killed, silvered and staked, or a life-sentence of imprisonment.

He murmured words of love as he slid down onto the wet mud on his knees, while she stood over him by the porch wall, floating, feeling everything was so dreamlike, and unreal. She couldn't believe they were going to have sex in the pouring rain, but she was excited, and ready. She felt dangerously short of breath and queasy when he leaned forward and kissed up and over her thighs in her work shorts. He picked the material of her shorts with his fingers, pushing it up a fraction, so that he could get easy access to the part that was particularly sensitive to her. She knew what was coming. She braced herself, holding in her breath, trying to ignore how ticklish it made her feel, when his lips closed over the inner part of her thighbone, near her groin, and a moment next, she cried out in exultation when his fangs nipped and pinched into her skin.

He pulled back to look up at her, and his wet bottom lip was coated with both a mixture of rain water, and her blood.

"Come on, Sookie," he breathed raggedly, getting to his feet. "Let's get inside."

Agreeing that their moment of fun in the rain was over, she rushed up to the porch for shelter, ignoring the stinging from his bite as it scraped against her shorts, and rubbed her arms with her hands, shivering uncontrollably, as he followed slowly behind her.

Once they reached inside the dark house, they resumed exactly where they had left off in the rain. Sookie pounced, throwing her arms around Eric's damp shoulders and leaning into him, while he struggled to remove his shirt. She unfastened the buttons for him, peeled it off his chest, and ran her hands softly over his exposed chest, feeling little goosepimples on his skin, despite him not looking cold.

He reached down and lightly rubbed his hand through her shorts, and her body sang out with anticipation.

Once the pair of them had finally managed to remove the wet clothing that was sticking to their skin, they came together, and she felt his bare, hard skin press into hers. Like that, she could almost notice the different contrast in body temperature. His hands went around her and gently caressed her back, her shoulders, her arms, her bottom. He kissed her neck, and whispered into it hoarsely, "Sookie, you're going to be sick from the rain."

She shrugged underneath him, and watched him as he stood back a fraction to look at her. His body was marvellous, and she felt utterly taken by him, all over again. Unfortunately, she learned how right he was on that when, after making love, they laid in his bed. Sookie felt drowsy, and lethargic. Her nose kept running.

They spent the rest of the night in each other's arms in the warm bed, alternately making love again, and Sookie occasionally racing to the bathroom to grab a tissue and blow her nose. She didn't feel all that comfortable blowing her nose in front of him. Sure, he might have tasted her blood more than enough times to count, but somehow, blowing her nose in front of him, she felt, ruined the sexual and intimate atmosphere in the bedroom.

Whenever they did this after she had come to visit him in secret, it felt like the best thing in the world to her. Them, spending time together, before he had to go underground at daybreak. It made those times she had to say farewell to him that much harder.

"You know what, Eric?"

"What, Sookie?" Eric was lying behind her, satisfied and spent. Sometimes he would smile and touch her hair, her nose.

"I don't think I much like this world we live in." She was most probably rambling but she didn't care, and Eric was considerate enough to actually let her go on as she pleased and listen wholeheartedly to whatever nonsense her mouth churned out. She admired that most about him, though. He waited on her in patience, his cold hands gently caressing her back. "There is so much endless hatred and unfathomable cruelty. I just don't believe it's a nice world we exist in at all."

"It gets better," he assured her, mumbling deeply into her scalp. "It always does. After a while, the heat will die down and there will be new fodder found to hate. Ignorance and fear of the unknown breeds repulsion. We all fear the unknown, but fear of the unknown keeps us alive and sane."

"But your kind is pretty much still unknown to me, and yet I don't fear you," she remarked, mostly teasing.

He lifted his head to look down at her, full of astonishment. He tossed his head in disbelief, smiling to himself. "You should fear me." She only noticed his fangs were extended when the tips became visible through his parted lips as he spoke the words; a sensual tease. "I am a highly dangerous man, Sookie Stackhouse." He looked oddly proud. "In fact the most dangerous you'll ever meet. If I hadn't found something in you that I adored, you'd be dead."

"Charming," she snorted. "Well, I'll believe that when I see it."

Without realizing what she was doing, Sookie pushed her fingers through his parted lips, gently, and felt each shiny, smooth tip of his fangs, and for a long time he simply watched her, utterly nonchalant.

"You never tell me much of what life was like when you were human. Can you remember anything at all?" Eric was often closed off whenever it came to his human years as a viking. She assumed either he didn't like reflecting on it because it was an unpleasant time for him, or that side of his life was to him now a distant, blurred memory.

"I remember all of it."

"Any special moments in particular?" She didn't mean to sound pushy; She simply wanted to know.

"Not really, Sookie," he said reluctantly after a moment.

"Maybe I'd like to hear some stories," she hinted, managing to sound casual about it. Inwardly she was aching to know. It often nagged at her.

He thought about that for a moment, seriously, pensively, while he combed his fingers through her hair softly. "Even if I started now, it would take one hell of a long time, Sookie. More time than we have on us right now. I don't believe there is much a point to it. Those years are far behind me now. All that matters as for now... is the present, and what is right here."

"You just don't want to tell me," she whispered, pretending to be affronted. "You don't think I'll understand."

"No, not at all. It isn't that, my lover. It's just that, as far as I'm concerned, I was reborn the night we met. I was a completely different man, as I am now, with you."

She sat up quickly against the pillow. Eric did, too. "Now what's that supposed to mean?" She asked, a little uneasily. In the back of her mind, she thought she already knew exactly.

He frowned at her ruefully. "I have killed many men, Sookie. When the war began, I joined ranks against Hitler's men, and battled alongside against the Germans. I've torn limbs off bodies with my bare hands. I've-" She stirred unsettlingly and pushed her hand in front of his fast-moving lips to cease his talking. He paused and willingly allowed her to process that. She had definitely heard more than enough; Especially more than what she felt comfortable with. He raised his eyebrows at her. "Have you heard enough or would you like me to resume?"

Suddenly she felt ill. She stared at him with wide eyes. She was speechless. He had altered in her eyes a bit. Of course, she knew he had a past. Having lived on earth for over a thousand years, she assumed it came with the territory. But she hadn't anticipated how responsible he could have been in committing such unspeakable acts of sheer cold, brutal bloodshed and terror. At least, the Eric she knew and loved didn't seem at all capable of such a thing. She didn't know what to say in response so she stayed silent, her face hot.

"I'm sorry if I've made you uncomfortable by what I've just told you in confidence, Sookie. But I don't believe in sugar-coating anything and you asked. I don't want to lie to you, or keep secrets. I am a firm believer in total honesty, and I expect you to show me the same courtesy."

After a while, once she recovered from the shock, she forced a tight-lipped smile onto her face. "You never made me uncomfortable, really." What a lie. "I appreciate you telling me that, and I want no secrets between us, neither."

He laid his hand on her shoulder; Cold and comforting.

"Aside from necessary secrets that we hide inside ourselves, of course," she added a second later, her voice soft and breathy. "Like us being together, like this. It's a weighty enough secret as it is." She felt his thumb as it traced her collarbone. She shivered involuntary, and peered down at the sheets shyly. "Jesus, if only we could read each others minds." She laughed sadly to herself, feeling her eyes grow wet. "I even get these weird fantasies inside my head, just wondering how things would be if it were different. It's silly, I know." She shook her head, infuriated with herself.

"Tell me," he whispered gently, as if he truly wanted to know.

"I know I ought to be grateful with things just the way they are, but I..." She shook her head again, suddenly frightened her hopeless thoughts might scare him away for good. "I sometimes wonder about us being together, like this, but you're... human." She judged his demeanour anxiously before she continued, relieved he didn't seem appalled in her at all. "And we're your average couple, except the sex is outstanding."

"It is, isn't it?"

"Yes, it is," she admitted, smiling. "And sometimes we go to the cinema, or meet up with a group of friends. No more hiding or sneaking away. And we're out together in public and you're holding my hand. I can mention you to other people." She laughed weakly, forgetting the here and now. "No more feeling like being with you and loving you is something illegal. Do you ever think like that?"

It occurred to her that she was crying but she was positive they were happy tears.

He took her hand off the bed, squeezed it in his, and brought her knuckles to his lips.

"I do," he confessed with strong conviction. He pressed a soft kiss into her hand again, nuzzling his nose, inhaling her scent. "But harsh reality is, Sookie, that certain things you cannot change. This is one of them. No copious amount of fantasies will ever change that."

"I know that," she whispered in defeat.

"Here and now," he reminded her meaningfully.

She mirrored those words back to him softly with a lump in her throat. _There wasn't no damage done with some harmless dreaming, though._

* * *

Later that morning, Sookie woke to a strange and empty bed. She felt underneath the covers, panicking, but Eric was nowhere. She looked around the plain room; He was nowhere in the room, neither. It was still dark out, and when she peered down at the illuminated red numbers on her wrist watch, it informed her it was three a.m. She pursed her lips sadly, and sat up against the headboard.

Daybreak was several hours away. Their daily separation was impending on them.

She climbed out of bed, found one of his shirts, and threw it on. She listened downstairs. She could hear someone moving about; Hear the clatter of plates, and the hiss of a frying pan going. Eric was cooking, and Sookie never knew he could.

She tiptoed down the stairs cautiously. Just as she rounded the corner into the kitchen, a pair of large hands shot out to cover over her eyes. "Keep your eyes closed, Sookie," he said behind her, steering her along with him slowly. Her head was pounding in confusion. She hadn't the slightest idea what he was doing. His hands slowly fell onto her shoulders, and he held her tightly. "All right. Open."

She looked around the room nervously before her eyes fell onto it, noticing the difference. Eric had definitely played chef. There was steaming, hot food everywhere on the table. She didn't know whether to laugh in glee, or to cry. She brought her hands over her mouth. "Did you actually cook this?" she laughed incredulously.

"I did. I guess those hours of watching the Food Network channel have paid off, after all."

The air was filled with the delicious scent of food, and her stomach grumbled. "Isn't it a bit early for breakfast, Eric?" she asked, mostly teasing. She crossed her arms over her chest, recalling something he had told her a while ago. "Hey, I thought you said to me that you didn't have a romantic bone inside your body, and that I should never expect you to be doing things like this?"

He looked away from her, shoving his hands deeply into his trousers pockets. "I said that?" He gave off such an impression that he was embarrassed, Sookie found it laughable. "No, I don't remember that, Sookie. I think you're mistaken."

"You said it, I _swear_ you did!"

"No, I didn't."

"You did!" She giggled.

They heard a loud knock at the front door, interrupting their playful argument. Sookie raised her eyebrows at Eric, questioning him wordlessly with them, but Eric wasn't expecting any visitors this early in the morning. It was surprising anybody would bother to come, especially after such a late hour; It was still dark after all. He simply shrugged, disregarded the ruckus at the front of the house, placed his hands on Sookie's shoulders gently, and drew her backwards against his bare chest. She sighed contentedly, when he lowered his head and started kissing around her neck, agonizingly slow. The smell of the food was strong, overpowering her. Her mouth was watering.

_Knock, knock._

"Eric?" She found herself panting heavily.

"Yes, Lover?" His deep voice was half muffled in her skin; a warm flush broke out over her cleavage area, and face. Something in Eric's voice often had a sexually arousing effect on her.

"I think you should probably answer the door."

"No, you don't." Eric sounded short of breath himself. With one hand, he lifted her shirt over her naval, and ran his cold hand and long fingers across her belly with the other. "You think I should stay right here, right now..." He licked the side of her jaw and she shivered in delight, grinning.

_Knock, knock, knock._

"Fuck, Sookie."

"Eric, just go! Quick!"

Reluctantly, he moved away from her, and she watched as his fangs retracted, in amusement. Last thing they wanted was to scare any neighbours away over the fact he was a vampire, after all. She settled into a chair, inspecting all the food laid out before her. Eric had gone a bit overboard with it; It was very nearly enough to feed a third-world country. Eggs, bacon. Fried tomatoes, steak. Good lord.

More banging.

"Yes, I'm coming," Sookie heard Eric shout unhappily. She smiled to herself, not quite believing he had cooked anything. _Knock, knock_. "I am coming. Patience," Eric said, as he yanked open the front door.

"Good grief," Adele Stackhouse croaked out in disgust, taking in the vampire's shirtless form. Clearly she was not immune from the widespread animosity humans had for vampires.

If Eric had any blood in him at all, he might have blushed. He hadn't actually met Sookie's grandmother in person before, but Sookie had relayed enough information to him into her appearance and manner, that he instantly recognized the frail, elderly woman standing before him. He recalled Sookie telling him one indulgent and frosty late winter spent huddled together in bed, that the woman was in her mid-sixties, and was as stubborn as a mule. He could not even find his voice to speak, let alone excuse himself quickly to go throw a shirt on over himself and regain a sense of modesty in her eyes. She was looking him up and down with harsh scrutiny, almost as if he was a bad piece of contemporary art; an object very distasteful and unpalatable for her liking.

"Good evening, vampire," she finally spoke again. "May I come in, please? I would very much like to get my granddaughter back home." Her voice was steady, cool, revealing nothing of her true intentions. Eric had no choice but to step aside, and allow Sookie's grandmother entrance.

"Who was it?" Sookie called from in the kitchen and Eric heard the old woman gasp in shock at the sound of her granddaughter's obliviously cheerful tone of voice. "Was it one of those people that try to pressure you into buying things? They can be royal pains. I can't believe they would stoop so low as to stay up this late just to make a vampire house call..."

"Uh, no, Sookie. It is your grandmother," Eric finally answered nervously, closing his eyes. Immediately in the other room he heard her drop a fork onto the table, and then the clamouring of her bare feet against the polished floorboards as she hurried to make herself presentable.

Really, the fact she was in a half naked vampires house, was already scandalous enough.

Sookie drew in a deep breath as she stared at the reflection of herself in the kitchen window. She looked far too guilty, especially while wearing one of Eric's shirts and very little else. No bottoms, just her underwear. The shirt definitely looked like it belonged to Eric, it was far too big on her and the worn collar drooped off one shoulder. Rolling the sleeves up almost to her elbows certainly helped a little, but the unkempt, sex hair and no trousers was a dead give-away altogether.

Trying to calm herself, she rolled her shoulders as she whispered, just loud enough he could hear from through the eggshell coloured walls: "Eric, honey. Cover for me for just a second, please. I can't have her seeing me in a shirt and underwear. It'll give her a premature stroke."

Certain he had heard her and understood, she inched cautiously towards the doorway.

She could faintly hear her Grandmother interrogating Eric mercilessly. She poked her head out through the long hallway to check and see for certain that the coast was clear. Eric was getting the brunt of her grandmother's frustrations, but he proved adept in handling the situation calmly by nodding and making soft murmurs of agreement. She smiled thankfully at him when he met her gaze above her grandmother's shoulder. Discreetly, he gesticulated for her to retrieve him a shirt of his own from upstairs. She cringed at the belated realization that he didn't have a shirt on. While Sookie was amazed frequently by how well-developed his muscles were- those narrow hips and flat stomach- she figured her grandmother would be less than enthused. Still, she took the moment to rake her eyes down his body appreciatively before she snapped into action and tiptoed upstairs to his bedroom on the upper floor.

Frantically she slipped on a pair of his faded jeans that were far too long, then delved through his bedside dresser, finding the most suitable one for him to wear; A light blue, chunky knitted sweater. Finding no benefit in delaying, she walked down the staircase, hoping not to appear too guilty. She couldn't understand how her grandmother knew where she was, especially when Sookie had been careful not to reveal anything about Eric and her relationship.

"I just knew I would find you here," Adele said to her granddaughter disapprovingly. "It would seem we have a lot to discuss, young lady. Such as the issue of you frolicking around with a vampire. It is illicit and morally corrupt of you. Have you no sense?"

Maintaining the bitter smile on her lips, Sookie passed the sweater to Eric, who then flung the sweater over his head and yanked it down over his chest with deliberate human slowness.

"And _you_, vampire," Grandmother Stackhouse went on to Eric, "Have you no sense of principles? My granddaughter could be arrested."

Eric closed his eyes and gritted his teeth at her outburst. Sookie felt warm all over in embarrassment. But at least if hell was going to crash down upon them, they would be sent out in a fiery blaze together. And with Eric at her side, Sookie felt about capable of conquering anything.


	2. Chapter 2

**I want to thank you all so much for your support on the first chapter, it was amazing and I was completely blown away. Hope you like this one. I'd love to hear your thoughts. Thanks so much!**

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**Chapter Two**

"I just knew I would find you here," Her grandmother said again confidently, as the three of them sat around in the living room. "I just knew it. A grandmother's intuition brought me here, and I was right." She sounded proud, almost, Sookie thought. "You've been coming here all along, haven't you?"

She could see in her Grandmother's wide and weathered eyes, that she already knew the answer to that question. How she knew, was another question altogether, and Sookie had trouble even regaining the use of her parched tongue to manage to ask it.

"I still don't understand how you knew to find me here, Gran?" Sookie finally whispered, once she could finally find her voice again. It trembled and broke halfway through the question, and she hated the sound of it.

"Well, for starters, Sookie. I found this in one of your trouser pockets while I did your washing earlier tonight." Her grandmother opened her clutch, and pulled out a wrinkled, folded piece of paper. Both Eric and Sookie remained silent, as they watched her grandmother carefully open it, wondering what was coming next. She smoothed her arthritic fingers over the creases, and laid it flat on the table. Eric leaned over the table to read it curiously. Sookie already knew what it was- in fact, she knew what the letter said by heart, because she had read it that often- and she caught herself holding in her breath, shocked over her carelessness. "I knew what it meant, and I knew I had to look for you somehow."

She could remember the very night he gave it to her. It had to have been over four months ago. They had their first serious argument that night. It seemed a trivial, petty one now, when she thought back to it, but back then, she was deeply upset by it. She was crying because she needed to hear him clarify to her that he felt the same way, and he couldn't even do that. He had been either too shy to say it to her out loud in the open, or he had been simply clueless and couldn't express his feelings articulately enough. She had found it ironic that a thousand-year-old wasn't capable of discussing feelings, but now, with time, he was more expressive and had opened up to her regarding them.

She could remember him walking her home afterwards, while she cried. Neither had said anything, while he walked her back to her house. He felt almost like a stranger to her that night; Cold, and distant. Though she knew she would have been unhappy with them ending things on such a premature note, she felt it was coming. The air between them had been thick and hazy with tension, and when he walked her wordlessly to the front steps of the porch, it was then she had finally gained enough courage to look at him through her moist, wet eyes. He hadn't even comforted her that night, even though it was fairly obvious she was crying. He had simply turned silently to her, and stared at her, face downcast, lips pressed together. She did notice he looked uncomfortable by her hysterical emotional breakdown, and clearly, he lacked experience in knowing how to comfort a young woman. He had placed a hand on her shoulder, gently pressing down.

"Well, goodnight, Sookie," he had simply said.

"That's it?" She was outraged. "No apologies, or an explanation? Nothing at all?"

Instead of answering, he had sighed and pressed a handwritten note into her hand and vanished in thin air. One minute he had been there, standing before her. In the next, he wasn't, and it had taken her a few minutes to process that.

She had read the note in her grandmother's rocker-chair on the porch, before she had entered inside. Ever since he had given it to her, she had carried it everywhere with her for safe-keeping, in her pocket, occasionally reading all of it again or sometimes just a particular part. It had definitely reassured her at the time, and erased any doubts she was feeling concerning whether they were on the same page or not, with their feelings for each other. It felt like she had read it a little over a hundred times by now, and automatically while looking down at the note, some of what he had written ran through her head:

_Dearest Sookie,_

_You and I are different. We come from opposite worlds, opposite lifetimes, and yet, you are the only one who has taught me how love is to be valued and can be felt, even by a dead man. You have recently taught me what it is like to care profoundly for someone, other than myself. I don't know how to put it in words, it is an odd feeling for me, one that I haven't felt in many time. I think you have changed me into a better man; a man who is not ashamed of feelings and love._

_P.S; Please refrain from shedding tears next time. It makes me feel strangely incompetent._

She had laughed and cried, whilst first reading the letter- something he most definitely didn't want for her. But she was mostly relieved he had made it clear on her where his feelings stood, even if not verbally in person, and since reading it, she did not question his feelings for her or experience any doubts ever again.

"I ought to have had my suspicions the very first time I noticed you pop in at some indecent hour of the morning." Adele smiled at the pair of them, still stiff in manner. "I should have put the puzzle pieces together, and realized it was only a vampire that could make a girl willingly stay out after dark. And sometimes, I would observe you when you got in home, and your manner was very peculiar. You seemed a very happy, very carefree girl, half the time, exactly like a girl in love. I should have known there was a reason behind it, and not a very good one at that." Adele shook her head at Sookie. "Do you have any idea how much trouble you would be in, Sookie, if word got out that you've been fooling around with a vampire after dark? The parish would be beside themselves, and you could go to jail. Does that appeal to you?"

"What the parish doesn't know, won't kill them," Eric said reasonably, automatically coming to Sookie's defense. "Sookie and I have worked meticulously in keeping our affair low-key, and private. As far as I am aware of, no one knows. We are extremely catious not to be seen by the community. We use my house as a hideaway. I do not have any curious neighbours to speak of."

"Yes, no one knows- for_ now_," she pointed out strongly. "Until suspicion settles in, and they come calling."

Sookie paled underneath her grandmother's strict words. It is what she feared most.

"Vampire," Adele began again urgently, shifting in the chair, expression somber. "Do you remember that incident that took place several months ago here with the Kentucky vampire, who was discovered having sexual relations with a human woman?"

Eric nodded his head as he answered, his tone deadly serious. "I do. Most vampires know of this, and the sort of violent hate your kind harbours for us vampires. His house was raided in broad daylight, and they set his house alight, also burning his underground coffin where he slept. He was burnt to a crisp, and the woman he was consorting with, her reputation was ruined. No doubt, she is still being considered untouchable goods to this day."

Adele turned back to her granddaughter, satisfied. "You see, Sookie. This is what will happen, you hear? Whatever you think you have here with this vampire, it cannot last for long, pet. They'll come for you, vampire, once they learn of this. And then, assuredly, they will come for my granddaughter, and I refuse to let that happen!"

Sookie inhaled sharply. She hated hearing horrible stories like that.

"Oh, Gran. Please stop scaring me. You're thinking the worst!"

"Vampire, do you love my granddaughter?"

"Very, very much," he answered softly, placing his hand on Sookie's kneecap, giving Sookie a tender-filled look. The conviction in his words did not go unnoticed by an unmoved Adele.

"And do you care for her life?"

"Yes, I do. I care more about Sookie's than my own."

"Then, you know what you must do. You must release her from this miscarriage of a relationship, you hear?"

Eric appeared stunned by the gall Sookie's grandmother had in demanding such an unthinkable request of him. He leaned back in the chair, and sighed heavily, his jaw clenched in tension. Sookie covered her hand over his in a feeble attempt to ease him. The gesture went completely over his head, and he seemed impenetrable to her consolation. He rose from the chair fluidly, and Adele got the fright of her life when carelessly, he pummelled the wall across from them before stalking out of the room in a fit of blind aggravation, leaving a big, curved-in dent in the plaster.

Sookie watched on impassively with wide eyes, while her grandmother clutched a hand over her chest fearfully. And then the front door slammed loudly, and Sookie thought she heard the glass framing around it shatter and tremble.

When he was gone, Adele leaned forward across the seat and hissed, quite gravely, "Sookie, he is not right. He is not a right match for you, this one. He is dangerous, and that temper on him is one to be wary of."

Sookie could hardly blame Eric for being frustrated, but she knew he would never hurt her or take it out on her. She breathed in, slowly and carefully, trying to calm herself.

"It isn't too late, Sookie." She reached over and squeezed Sookie's hand, before releasing it. "I can see that the pair of you care greatly for one another, which is unfortunate. Show it by ending it, before it gets too late, and either one of you suffer the horrendous consequences. Do you really want to be responsible for ending this vampire due to the law finding out and taking matters into their own hands? You know what they would do to him. You are a smart enough girl, Sookie."

She sat very still for a long moment, head down, staring anxiously at her hands clasped in her lap. Yes, she knew very well what they could do to Eric and, also, what they could do to her, if it ever became public knowledge the two's lives were tangled together; A vampire's punishment, somehow, was far more severe than a human's, and unfairly so. She had read, one morning, of particular procedures they used, as means of punishment for offenses such as the one they were actively partaking in; Though reading about it made her very ill at ease and had her reconsidering seeing Eric romantically, she felt she had to study and educate herself. It was her own way of coming to terms and giving herself the serious incentive she needed to not approach something like dating a vampire lightly; They used slow, painful methods that had her questioning the morality of humanity; such as injecting a vampire torturously slow with liquid silver into the bloodstream, exposing them to sunlight for several hours at a time, extraction of the fangs, and, eventually, the most final and permanent ordeal of all; true death by a stake or other various sharp instruments.

Sookie swallowed hard. "Of course not. Of course I don't want that to happen to him. Never!"

"Do you love him, Sookie?"

"Yes, Gran," she answered, without hesitation. "I do love him. I've never been more certain of anything else in my entire life, but that." She didn't quite know how to explain it; It felt impossible for her to put it into words, somehow. "Around Eric, I feel like I can be myself. And I can't hear his thoughts, like I can with most people. When I'm around him, I felt at home. He feels like... home to me, in a sense." She looked into her grandmother's eyes to see if she was making any sense, but then decided it really didn't matter, either way. She smiled to herself softly. "Gran, you once told me when I was younger that when it comes to love, that persons got to be worth it to you. And I feel that... Eric is worth it. He's the person I want to be with, and the fact he's a vampire, it doesn't matter much to me. When he's around me, he's not a vampire. He isn't defined by what he is. He's exactly like a man to me. He's the most gentlest person I've ever met. The most kind-hearted, and decent. He's... worth it to me. He's worth going through all of this secrecy. Now I don't expect you to understand that, Gran, but... that's just how I feel." Sookie shrugged tentatively, and looked away.

Adele nodded and watched her granddaughter for a moment in astonishment, stunned by the maturity and certainty in her voice. But she wasn't exactly expressing any sound reasoning, and reasonable judgement. "Sookie, dear. I understand about the thrills of first love, I honestly do. But there are times when you've got to sacrifice that for your own survival. We are talking about your life here, and his. Soon, you'll look back on all of this, and realize how right I was. When I said that, about love being worth it, pet... I never meant the kind of love that would have you sneaking around at all ridiculous hours of the night, with somebody who could get you into trouble."

"I know, Gran. And I'm sorry, but I can't help that I love him."

"Honey, I am just worried for you." Her grandmother smiled pleasantly, and took her hand again. "I'm only human. I love you, you're exactly like the child I had in your father, and I only want what is best for you. I know we don't see eye to eye on this, and I know I'm acting like an insufferable old hag right now, but it is only because I care about you, and there is just so many ways this could go terribly wrong."

Sookie was silent for a moment, digesting that. Then, she said, slowly and sorrowfully, "And if he were human, then you'd... let me be with him? You wouldn't be saying all this stuff?"

"Of course I wouldn't be sitting here having this conversation with you, dear," she laughed, too cheerfully. "If he were human, it would be a whole different matter altogether. I would be fine with that, and trusting in your decision."

Sookie felt her heart twist and clench. "That's what I thought," she whispered weakly. She quickly turned away, feeling her eyes burning. A second later, she felt a tear drift down her cheek, and her grandmother squeezed her hand again.

"Now what is wrong with you seeing a human?" Her grandmother went on cheerily. "What about that fellow I introduced you to today? William Compton? Isn't he just a splendid catch?"

Sookie felt she wanted to scream at the top of her lungs, then.

"He is, and there's no doubt about it, Gran. Only, I want to be with Eric."

Her grandmother stood, moved over to where she was sitting, and sat next to her, embracing her tightly. "You never know, dear. He might be all you want, for now. But things change, pet. You ought to give William Compton the benefit of the doubt." She laughed and kissed Sookie on the cheek. It took everything within Sookie not to wince away. Suddenly, she felt suffocated and desired nothing more than to be alone in her thoughts. "He is a very nice, and wealthy man. He has a good career. And, most of all... you're safe with him. He is human. Absolutely right for you." She hugged her again tightly, and Sookie tried to return it, albeit without enthusiasm. "Now, what are you going to do?" Her Gran asked, pulling back to look at her seriously. There was a long silence, where Sookie hurriedly wiped her cheeks on the sleeves of Eric's shirt she was wearing.

"I don't know, Gran," she answered hesitantly. "What should I do?"

"You know what is right, pet. I trust you'll do what is right here." They both stood, her grandmother's arms around her. "I think I'll leave now, Sookie."

"Okay, Gran." Sookie attempted a smile. "Thanks for coming around, and for not getting angry. I love you."

"I love you too, my dear."

She stood around and watched as her grandmother slowly made her way out of the door. And then, Sookie swore she heard her grandmother mutter underneath her breath, "Do what's right by the law," but she could have been mistaken.

It might have been wrong by the law, but why was her heart telling her it was the right thing for her? That Eric was absolutely right for her? Her head was swarming in confusion and indecision. What on earth was she going to do? She knew what she wanted; She wanted to be with Eric, for however long they could be together. She didn't want anyone else, not ever. But then, there she was, her grandmother, the most influential person in her life, goading her into the opposite direction. One that did not include Eric.

Sookie felt exhausted. Exhausted with lying, exhausted with the sudden guilt churning her stomach. Just downright exhausted both physically and mentally. She wondered where Eric had gone off to, whether he was still around the house, or not. Maybe he had just taken a late night walk to cool off? Cautiously, she approached the front door and peeked through the see-through glass out onto the lit porch. She caught sight of his tall, motionless silhouette as he stood resting a shoulder against the long post that held the roof securely in place. She drew in a long, unsteady breath, straightened her shoulders, and opened the front door.

She hesitated, wringing her hands, before approaching him. She noticed he had his arms crossed and, immediately by the rigid and stubborn shift in his posture, she could tell he was still angry. She continued on forward until she was standing right next to him. She peered out into the dimly lit yard, the same direction that he was looking before, uncertainly, she leaned into his side. She snuggled into him, resting her head on his arm, silently crying inside. She felt him gradually warming up to her, because he gave out a deep sigh and leaned closer. She slipped her hand through his arm, squeezing lightly into his bicep, hopefully in a caressing way to him. After a while, he slowly turned towards her and she lifted her head from his shoulder to look him directly in the eyes. His expression was unreadable, but he did look a bit red around the rims of his eyes. They shone down at her in an empty bleakness that communicated to her silently that something bad was looming between them.

"What do you want to do, Sookie?"

She wasn't prepared for that question. No less, did she have an answer.

"Well, as for now, I want to do nothing."

He blinked down at her. "And what is that supposed to mean?"

"I don't know," she sighed. "Honestly, I've got a whole lot of shit going on inside my head. I don't want to make any decisions right now. It's too early, and I'm cranky, and tired. And emotional," she added, just in case he couldn't notice that.

"Don't leave me hanging, Sookie. Just do it. Do what we both know you're about to do. Even if not tonight, it'll come eventually. Why not just do it right now?"

"Do what?" She spoke through clenched teeth. "What am I doing here, Eric?"

He stepped away from her, a look of hurt and frustration on his face. He walked away from her, to the other side of the porch, and that distance hurt more than anything imaginable.

"You know what, since you have foresight into whatever the hell I'm about to do, you do it!" She was nearly screaming and, before she knew it, she felt the tears start in her eyes all over again. "Since you're the man of wisdom, and you know everything, then just do it!"

It took him a very long time to speak, but she waited in silence, fuming. When he finally spoke again, his voice was steady enough. But she could hear the pain and misery in it. "It is finished, Sookie. Over. _Done_."

She felt like she had been socked in the stomach. Quickly, she wiped her face, trying to get a firm grasp of her emotions.

"And you really mean that?" She wiped her nose on the back of her hand, trying to recover. It was the very last thing she had expected him to say. Suddenly, a sensation of numbness overcame her, a hollow void that he had opened up in the center of her chest, her throat felt tight and achy, along with the unsettling awareness that dawned onto her that things might have actually truly been over between them, for good.

She saw him turn to face her, but she couldn't even endure looking at him.

"Congratulations, Lover. You should be happy. Now you can date this William fucker, and have miniature humans together. Such is life."

Tears began to fill her eyes again over the indifference in his voice. _He truly meant it_!

"I hate you, Eric Northman," she seethed, with as much bitter feeling she could muster, which was really none at all. He was very hard to hate. Those tender-hearted feelings for him very nearly outweighed everything. "I wish I never loved you, _ever_." She saw out of the corner of her wet eyes him starting to walk to her, hands lifted, like he was dying to embrace her. Then, he finally did. He brought them to her face, his palms cupping her cheeks strongly, and she closed her eyes tightly.

"I can be impetuous sometimes when mad, I... never, Sookie..."

"Don't you dare touch me!" With all her might, she slapped his hands away from her face.

"Lover, look at me," he whispered desperately, his breathing rough. He grabbed her hands and guided them up to his face, to his chin. "Lover, please."

She shoved him back, then she ran down the steps from his porch, feeling the hollow ache growing more profound by the second. The intensity of what just happened, the reality, didn't even settle in until she was halfway down the street, straining to breathe. She felt ill, and she halted from jogging to crouch down on the pavement, clutching her knees.

_Were they really over?_

**_Hope you enjoyed this one? I would very much love to hear your thoughts. Thanks so much._**


	3. Chapter 3

**Thank you all so much for your support and lovely reviews. You're all wonderful and amazing, and I can honestly say that you inspire me to update.**

**Hoping you will enjoy this one :) Thank so much! Feel free to let me know your thoughts, as I love reading them!**

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_**Chapter Three**_

Eric watched, standing around on the porch helplessly, until she disappeared from his sight into the glowing early morning darkness.

The reality only fully settled in for him, once he sat on the porch steps, burying his face in his hands. His stupid, quick temper! She had actually taken his words seriously! He felt dizzy at the mere realization, and he had to blink back tears of his own.

He wanted to run after her, somehow, even though he knew she would be long gone by now. He wanted to convince her and make her see that he hadn't actually meant what he was saying. His anger just got the better of him at times. Only she was gone now. She had run off before he could even get the chance. It was already far too late.

But she knew, surely. She knew he had only said it because he was angry. Overhearing the things her grandmother had said, certainly, would have made any man react that way. She could come back tomorrow, and things would be fine again. They'd had plenty of arguments before, where things had been said in the heat of the moment rashly, without thought, and somehow, they came together the next nightfall pretending it hadn't ever happened. No doubt, this would turn out exactly the same. He had faith in that.

He looked out past the yard. A faint orange glow was casting out over the clouds, signalling morning's arrival. He sighed and got to his feet. Time to make haste, and take shelter.

She would return tomorrow, and everything would be fixed. It was just a misunderstanding of words. He held that faith in an iron clasp.

But, next evening as he awoke in his coffin to an empty, cold house, he realized, sadly, she was not coming back. He had made a complete fuckery of everything. He could not even feel her anymore. The absence weighed down on his heart heavily, as he sat in the kitchen, drinking a bottle of O-positive. All there was now, was an emptiness in his heart- a numb void- where her warmth and tenderness used to be.

Nothingness.

Halfway through the bottle, he heard footsteps on the porch. The lightest dance of steps that made the void fill up again into wholeness. He smiled to himself, and rose from the chair.

He knew she would be back. He just knew it.

But rather instead of being greeted by her face, instead he was greeted by another. A woman who he did not recognize. And then, that greeting was extended to a pair of handcuffs holding his arms behind his back. And a swarm of troopers flooding in, their rifles pointed at him from all directions.

Death was on the horizon. He could taste it, almost.

The one thought inside his head, a chanted, silent prayer, as they led him to a car, was:

_Goodbye, Sookie Stackhouse. Don't ever forget me, and what we were._

* * *

He felt certain they were the ones that were going to put him to his death. But whenever he enquired for an explanation, he did not receive it, on the ride to wherever it was they were taking him. It had to have taken roughly half an hours drive, and when they pulled into a steep driveway, his inner calm was slowly dissipating by the second.

"What the fuck is going on here?" he asked the woman sitting across from him, for what felt like the hundredth time. And, exactly like the times before it, she gave him that very same cordial smile that held no answers.

Still, everything felt like death.

* * *

"Which would you prefer we use first, Mr. Northman?" The woman wheeled the metal tray set on the table over towards him. Eric took in the various implements atop of it; _What an eclectic little collection she had right there._ There were rusted pliers of various sizes, syringes. "How about extraction of the fangs?" She held up the pliers and gave him a condescending smile.

He swallowed; She had at last been successful in slicing through his carefree façade. Having your fangs extracted, as a vampire, was the most debasing experience they could ever endure, and Eric was exceptionally fond of his fangs. They served him well, and he was positive Sookie enjoyed them also. Her vehement moans during a biting session was all the affirmation he had needed. He hadn't the slightest clue what he could have possibly done without them had he lost them. They would grow back, with time, yes. But patience wasn't one of Eric's strong suits.

"Would that be enough to deter you? I hear it is a particularly painful procedure for a vampire to go through." She looked at him past her shoulder, accessing his reaction to that. Luckily for Eric, he appeared uncaring over that possibility as a form of punishment, despite the turmoil his insides were battling against. "Or not," she went on to herself, musingly. "I have an inkling to get back down to basics."

To both his astonishment and confusion, she disregarded all the implements in favour for the least frightening of all; She picked up the syringe, then turned her back on him. She grabbed an I.V machine he had failed to take notice of by the right side of the wall behind him, and pulled it forward to where he was sitting. "Your arm, please, Mr. Northman," she said, rather politely in tone considering the harmful situation she was intentionally placing him under.

He stared up at her for a moment, pondering quietly on why she would require merely an arm specifically. "Which arm exactly? Left or right? Both?"

"Now's not the time to get smart with me. After all, I am the woman in charge here. I am the only one who makes the final, impacting decision of whether you meet the true death this hour or at a later date."

Mutely, he thrust his left arm out to her. It was an act of surrender. As far as he was concerned, there wasn't any other choice. There wasn't any other way out of it. She watched him attentively, with suspicion into his motives, before she snatched at his forearm, and held the daunting large needle to his skin at the crook of his elbow. She gave him a loud slap with her palm, and found a use-worthy vein. Without warning, she slid it into his skin, and it presented him the most off-putting prickling sensation imaginable. Then she turned to hook the plastic tubing joined to the syringe into the I.V machine.

"What is this?" he asked, his curiosity getting the better of him. Vampire punishment was pretty low-tech, he realized. Frankly, he was unimpressed. And not to mention, deeply disappointed. He was expecting something far more advanced. Some cool, showy technology, even. Not a boring old syringe and an I.V machine. How dull.

The woman stared at him for a moment, before answering. "Liquid silver, and it goes straight into the bloodstream. Bit by bit, it erodes your flesh, starting from your insides, then it works it's way outwards, lovingly caressing you." She spoke of it as though it was a celebratory, cheerful occasion he was about to experience. "It is literally eating away at you, bit by bit. Your organs, first, and then... your bones and flesh."

He felt an ice-cold fear in his gut at her words, but suppressed it from entering into his expression. "Sounds kinky- the way you speak of it. This is something you enjoy, isn't it?"

She laughed, somewhat coyly. "It is. I suppose that is why I am the best woman for the job. It is somewhat sexually gratifying... pleasing. I have administered this to vampires for a little over a year now, and I must say, I enjoy it thoroughly. It is extremely satisfying, hearing the screams and agony as the vampire's whither in pain."

_Sick sadistic bitch_, Eric thought to himself.

She bent down and stroked his cheek with her hand. Her manicured fingernails were long, and coated a glistening black. Her touch was almost tender.

"Have you any last words, Mr. Northman, before we go ahead with your pain?"

"Go fuck yourself," he answered automatically.

She tilted her head back and laughed shrilly. Her laughter echoed around the dank, tiled walls. It was the most irritating sound Eric thought he had ever heard in his entire thousand-years of life. All the more reason to kill her, eventually.

"Do you know why you're here?" She gestured around the room vaguely with a jerk of her head.

"No." Inwardly, he thanked his lucky stars that his voice did not fail him.

"I'm sure you do, deep down inside," she whispered, her voice ice-cold. "I've received very pressing news over the weeks that you've consorted with a human." She bent over him and fixed his wrists to the arms of the chair with leather restraints. He didn't even have the time to struggle or move. But then again, he didn't exactly want to. It would have only given her the inducement she probably wanted from him to go ahead with action. "Are you going to actively sit before me and deny that? I have evidence, if you would be interested in seeing it. I have information through a certain, reliable source of mine that you meet this human almost every nightfall and, usually... it erupts into fits of passion and ardent hourly sex."

Eric felt his muscles stiffen. How was that possible, that she knew? How? They had been mindful, and always took precautions. So how could she possibly have known of their relationship? Oh, fuck. Who was he kidding? If an elderly woman like her Grandmother, Adele, could have figured it out and tied the two links together, surely anybody else was capable of doing it, also.

"You have sent someone in to snoop on me?" He asked, perplexed. Her words gave him the impression. "Isn't that a little... I don't know? Morbid, perhaps? Obsessive?"

"I have," she confessed, with haughtiness. "But don't flatter yourself as important, Mr. Northman. We do it to all the vampires listed as residing in the state of Louisiana, as a firm rule to keep the peace and make sure there isn't any activity signalling a vampire gone astray. We would be failures at our jobs in keeping our people safe, if we didn't take it seriously."

She bent down again and put one hand underneath Eric's chin, lifting his head upwards so that their eyes met.

"Does the name Sookie Stackhouse spark any recognition within you?"

The woman's words and the name she had so casually brought into the conversation hit Eric like a brutal punch in the face. He tried to remain composed and expressionless on the exterior side, but internally... he was thrown into a fretful panic. _She definitely knew._ She was definitely far more informed than he first thought. This was serious. He took it more severely then. It wasn't a time for anymore fun and games at the woman's expense. Now both Sookie and his own wellbeing depended on it, all due to this woman. He didn't even want to begin to spend time dwelling on what they might have done to her had they caught her, also.

Still, he answered accordingly. "What the fuck is a Sookie Stackhouse?"

She shared another self-indulgent laugh at that.

But then he regarded her, with the utmost sincerity in his voice and started, with blatant honesty that left her feeling surprisingly quite touched by his display, "Yes, in fact, I have two things to say to you before you proceed in my punishment. One; I am in love with the human and if that is a crime in your eyes and your human authorities eyes, then so be it. My only crime is that I love her, and one that I wilfully commit." He held her gaze defiantly, pushing out his chest. "And the last and final thing I will say to you, is that... if you think inflicting pain on me is enough to make me refrain from going near her ever again to escape any repercussions of this, then you are sorely mistaken. In fact, you should go fuck yourself for just even daring to think such a notion. I would gladly take the true death a thousand times over, if it meant I could still have even at least _one_ opportunity of being with her."

The woman sighed deeply, eyeing him sympathetically.

"I sincerely hope what goes on today will be enough to condition you. It would be such a tragedy losing a humane vampire like yourself. But, still... I am going to enjoy this immensely."

"Likewise."

Without further ado, she took three swift strides to the machine, and pressed a button in. At first, he assumed the machine was faulty, because he felt nothing. Nothing was happening at all. Wasn't he supposed to feel some semblance of pain? It occurred to him a second later; A dark liquid was only halfway through lining down that plastic tubing towards his elbow. And then, dramatically, it hit him, and hard. The woman certainly wasn't lying; Eric found it troublesome to keep the screams in himself. The pain was sharp, and searing. He never knew anything to hurt so much, and at such a constant level of intensity. He could almost feel his blood bubbling away underneath his skin.

He couldn't help it. He let loose a deep, gutteral groan, as the woman looked on, admiring him, her legs clenched together.

"Ready for me to desist, Mr. Northman?" She called, through his moans. "All you have to do, is say the magic word."

"Oh, I could go on all night," he managed, through gritted teeth, twisting and wriggling around in the seat. But- God knows why- she somehow decided to have mercy on him, and she turned to shut off the machine an instance later. The only sound left in the room was his ragged, sharp breathing, as he tried to recover.

"I think I have made it quite clear on you," she said quietly. Obviously she took him for no dim-witted fool, and a surge of gratitude flooded within. "You see. You have already started to adapt to submission. Your body knows what your stubborn mind fails to acknowledge, and that is that it is wrong to be in relation with a human. And now you also know, that I have all the power. All the power in this room, belongs to me, Mr. Northman. Your life is in my hands, and, by showing me your display of earnest suffering, you were rewarded in getting off lightly." Eric managed a nod. "You don't want this to happen again, but it will... if we find you with the human. Even worse, will come of this, and trust in me when I say this, but... this punishment I have given you today is not the worst of the lot. There are always other solutions."

"Such as?" he wheezed out.

"See this?" She brought out an odd contraption."It is an explosive tracking device. I could very easily attach it to your ass and once it informs me that you are within a two-mile distance from the human, it is programmed to automatically detonate and you would be no more than pitiful, vampire goo."

Well, shit. That was taking regulations to a new level. He definitely wasn't expecting that.

"No, that is hardly necessary." His voice was too shaky and weak for his liking, but there was nothing he could do about it. "Consider me defeated. I will not go near the human again. Already, she is a distant recollection in my mind. It will take me all but another day to fully forget about her."

"Good." She nodded, satisfied, and stood over him to remove the syringe connected to the I.V machine from the crook of his elbow. She had an unpleasantly rough touch this time around, much less care than before, and he winced."I'm holding you to it, Mr. Northman. As a human myself, we all have to stick together, and protect what is ours from a vampire's harm. It is only what I'm doing here. Do the right thing, and leave Miss. Stackhouse alone." His temples were pounding, when she unfastened the restraints and bid him to stand. His punishment was over- for now, at least. He sat for a moment, trying to regain feeling in his limbs. Then, calmly, he stood, fighting against the aggressive urge he felt to either flee and go straight to Sookie, or to attack the woman.

"Believe me, I am above and beyond getting myself killed over a human now," he intoned, with a short, exhausted laugh. "I guess that silver affected me and gave me a clearer judgement on the gravity of my wrongdoing more than I thought it would have."

"Good to hear it. I hope you've learned your lesson, Mr. Northman. Next time, your punishment will be far more severe. You can consider yourself lucky."

"Well, clearly I haven't learned my lesson enough, whore," he muttered underneath his breath bitterly.

She turned abruptly to look at him, raising her over-plucked, thin eyebrows. "What was that?" Jesus, was she obtuse.

"I simply said, that it is a lesson well learned." He gave her a side-long look of innocence, pushing his hand into the point the needle had entered, inserting a light pressure to get the feeling flowing back in. "Are you hard of hearing?"

She waved him away with her hand dismissively. He could hardly move or walk properly. All his limbs felt dead, and a delayed aching from the excess silver into his blood-stream caused his energy to sag detrimentally. Thankfully, it wasn't that debilitating that he could not fly.

Roughly five minutes later, he descended down onto the grassy mound of Sookie's grandmother's yard. Losing his footing, he staggered, feeling various vertiginous sensations. He waited until his breathing had steadied, before he climbed up to the window on the upper floor of the house. _Sookie's room._ Her window was halfway open. The light was still on.

He had learned his lesson indeed. At least, a contrasting one to the woman's orders. He would not stay away from Sookie Stackhouse. The possibility of an impending death for him and more excruciating pain from their methods couldn't even prevent him from getting to her.

He felt enlightened in a whole new way.

Not even a thousand men in authority, or ongoing torture could drag him away from Sookie Stackhouse. It occurred to him then, that he would even so much as die for her, if fate willed on it. That knowledge learned about himself in regards to Sookie Stackhouse was dangerous and lethal. Never had he dreamed a human would ever be possible to arouse such determination out of him- not ever in a thousand-years.

Reaching her window, he grabbed onto the ledge and heaved himself up onto it with great effort. For a moment, he felt his strength weaken again, and he feared a fall. Luckily, his body worked with him, and his feet found the carpet before he took a plunge backwards off the ledge. He peeked through the gap in the curtains, to find Sookie lying on her bed, talking to herself, her knees tucked into her chest, chin dipped low to her knees. He considered turning back and leaving, because she looked so low. He wouldn't have blamed her if she no longer wanted to see him again, after his hurtful words of them being over the night previously. In his excuse, he had said it out of anger. It was far from finished- to him, anyhow. His downright disobedience tonight in ignoring the authorities orders of not seeing her illustrated that very clearly to him.

Meeting the true death did not matter. Having been on earth for over a thousand-years, he would have only found it by now a blessing in disguise.

Vampires do possess the capability of loving another. He had certainly learned that from experience himself now. It was a feeling so powerful, so life-altering. It was a pity the Government controlling human's could not accept that.

_She was all that mattered. Fuck everything else._

After what seemed like an eternity of staring at her, he finally found his voice.

"Sookie?" he called from behind her gently, stepping through the curtains. His voice was hoarse.

Sookie gasped and turned at the unexpectedness of his voice. Her heart swelled with being, when her eyes found him standing in the middle of her bedroom, across from her window.

After what had happened last night, with what he had said, she was trying to come to terms with the fact they were over. He had sounded as if he had meant it, after all. And maybe she had known, deep down inside, that things could have never lasted between them. Maybe she knew that all along, but she was just trying to ignore it, and cling onto some silly, childish hope that it would last for them? Her grandmother had been right, after all. The bad far outweighed the good, in them being together; If they continued, she risked losing him. He could die a painful death due to her. And, in the same way- though not as severely as the outcome would be for him- she would be arrested, and serve a sentence in prison. Both outcomes, she didn't want to risk. But she loved him. She felt she loved him with all her heart, so much so that letting him go would be the most difficult and painful thing she would ever do. The confusion and turmoil she felt inside outweighed the happiness of seeing him return to her, at least for a minute. The battle between what was right, safe... and what she wanted, and needed, was instantly put on hold when she took more notice into his appearance tonight.

_Something was wrong. Very wrong._

She saw that his complexion was ashen and as pale as a white sheet, drained - paler than what was natural for any vampire. Something bad had happened, and when he stepped forward hesitantly towards her bed, she noticed he wasn't even barely capable of standing upright on his own two feet.

Something had happened during the earlier hours of the evening, and for the life of her, she couldn't figure out what.

He collapsed down onto the side of her bed, saying her name repetitively in a raspy wheeze. She caught the way he massaged his forearm with his fingers, and her worry deepened. To her, he looked like a vampire in dire need of blood, and she climbed onto her knees and hurriedly brought her wrist over the line of his lips.

"What are you... doing?" He hardly sounded as if he even could talk properly, no less. His words came out subdued and exhausted. It sounded as if it was far too much effort for him tonight. _That definitely wasn't good._

"Drink some of my blood and hurry."

She could see the shock in his eyes at the sound of her forceful voice. Usually she wasn't so demanding, but it seemed he needed that side of her tonight. Passively, he obeyed her instructions at once, biting into the loose, warm skin on her wrist. She whimpered softly and held onto him the whole time he drank from her, and then once he was obviously done, she noticed with some satisfaction that his skin looked more brighter and less dull.

He bit into the tip of his forefinger and brought some of his own blood down to her wrist, coating it into her open bite-wound. After a moment, the stinging was gone, and everything felt normal again. She closed her eyes, breathing in an uneven sigh of relief into his better state of health.

"All right. Now you tell me what's wrong right now," she commanded, climbing off the bed, her hands resting on his shoulders. She watched as he closed his eyes for a moment, recouping, and when he didn't answer, she started rubbing his shoulders, massaging various muscles. "I have a right to know. You look terrible," she said, with such vehemence that it caused him to reopen his eyes in surprise. "Why did you even come here?"

"Were you not expecting me? We are lovers, after all."

"Oh, well." She smiled down at him softly. "Of course I wasn't expecting it, after what you said so nicely to me last night. I thought you said we were finished, remember? Over? Done?" She couldn't help the anger it brought out of her. "Isn't that what you said? You sure sounded like you meant it, so I just... assumed. _Is_ it over between us?" She couldn't even hide the disappointment and fear in her voice. She didn't want it to end this way at all. Not with him.

"Is that what you actually want?"

She ignored that question, fixing him a pointed glare. _What kind of question was that?_ She reached down and started massaging around his knees. "Well, are you gonna answer me?"

"On which question am I answering here?"

She considered that for a moment, biting her lip. "Both, I guess."

"They know. They're more knowledgable than I gave them credit for. I was held with them tonight, and I got my first experience of their punishment. As for your other question; fuck no."

"I have no idea what you said, just then. Can you explain more slowly, please?"

But then, for some reason, all of it was instantly forgotten to her when she felt his hands on her back, beckoning her. He laid down onto the bed, bringing her atop of him, her knees astride his stomach. She brought her head down, and they kissed, the pair of them breathing hard. He ran his hands through her hair, sliding his tongue into her mouth, and, like always, her body responded and her mind and all of its troubles were whisked away with it, forgoing all common sense. She was with her vampire again. Nothing else seemed to matter. Not even what he was hiding from her, of the anguish he had dealt with, by the authority and law makers of her world, who wanted to remove most vampires from civil society.


	4. Chapter 4

**I want to thank you all so much for your amazing reviews, and the alerts I've recieved on the story so far. It truly makes my day. Hope you enjoy this one. Next chapter, there will be a whole lot more happening. :-) Sorry its a bit slow, but hope you find some enjoyment in it none the less.**

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_**Chapter Four**_

Next morning, just before it reached dawn, Sookie felt the mattress depress as Eric slid out of bed. She stirred onto her side slowly, the side of her cheek resting on the soft pillow, and watched him as he bent down to retrieve his clothes off the floor. She watched the various muscles and tendons in his back and spine stretch and knot together, as he slipped on his trousers. She hated these moments where he had to leave. She wished he could stay with her, in bed, forever. She wished both of them could, and that neither one of them had to leave. But sadly, that was just the way it worked. It couldn't be any other way.

She felt her insides squirm and clench, when he shifted on his side to look down at her. He put a hand on her shoulder blade, circling her skin with his thumb. He stared down at her for a long moment. And then, he spoke softly, "I have to go now, Sookie."

She smiled and nodded gently. "I know you do. I wish you didn't have to, but I understand."

He sighed and turned from her, pulling his shirt over his head.

She extricated her limbs from the sheets and climbed over to where he was sitting on the arches of her knees. She put her hands on his chest, rested her head on his shoulder. She could almost smell him. "This is the part I hate most. Having to say our goodbyes. Do you feel that way, too?"

He nodded without speaking, and she smiled at his honesty.

"At least it's only for a few hours. I guess I shouldn't really complain, should I? Still, it doesn't make it any less hard."

"Then I will stay, Sookie Stackhouse, and never leave your side."

"What?" She leaned back on her knees, surprised. "You can't do that! Daylights coming up!"

"So?" He said it so carelessly, so defiantly, it made her want to kiss him. But she didn't. It was already hard enough. He turned to look at her. "Come daylight, and put me to my death. I will it so. I do not fear death, I am no child!"

She laughed, humoured. "But you'll fry, you cheese ball!"

He touched her cheek, and Sookie had to stifle a shriek. She didn't think she would get over how cold his hands were, no matter how many times he had touched her with them. He pulled back the covers and hopped in, and Sookie joined him, too. "Come sunlight, for I do not fear you!" His voice was dangerously loud and theatrical, and Sookie knew they risked her Grandmother overhearing from in the other room, but she was too hysterical to care, in that moment of time. She was shaking all over with silent laughter, and the springs of the bed squeaked when he rubbed his ankles on hers, trying to get in some of her warmth. "For with Sookie Stackhouse by my side, nothing can ever possibly go wrong!"

For some reason the whole thing striked her as unbearably hilarious, and she started giggling loudly. He covered a hand over her mouth, and buried his head into her hair. He brought the sheets over their heads and looked down at her. She lifted her hand to his icy cheek, brushing it softly with her fingers. She watched him above her, breathing heavily, as he brought his hands over the back of his neck, unfastening something. To her, he was the most equally daunting and handsome person she had ever seen in her entire life. Then, he brought down the long chain necklace he often wore, slipped it behind her neck with his fingers, and tied it, the dangling pendant tickling her cleavage. It was a gold eagle's talon pendant, and she felt her eyebrows pinch together. She knew how precious the necklace was to him, though he never explained the reason into why. Maybe someone important had given it to him, as a gift... however many years ago? She couldn't be sure. All she knew, was that it was a pretty special gesture from him to her.

He leaned down slowly over her on his elbows and kissed her, soft and tender, and she kissed back thoughtlessly. One hand wrapped around his back, following the curved outline of his spine through the thin material of his shirt, pressing the entire length of his clothed body into her. She took his hand and led it down between them to her underwear, and she heard herself moan in delight when he gently touched her through the thin cotton with the back of his sinewy fingers. He gave out a muffled, deep grunt of his own at the sound of hers, breathing roughly, the sharp edges of his fangs visible through his lips. He licked around them with his tongue, when she lifted her hips above the mattress for more generous friction with his fingers, but then the call of cicadas coming from outside was not one she could ignore.

It was coming dangerously close to dawn. She nestled her head back deeper into the pillow and looked up at him, realizing he had to leave, and quickly. She felt like she could have stared at him for hours, studying every feature, wondering about him, and every undisclosed facet of his life he had lived before they met... and never tire of it. But now wasn't exactly quite the time.

She wriggled out from underneath him, purposefully ignoring his curse of protest in an Ancient language, and grabbed him by the hand, jerking him off the bed with all her might.

"Come on, Eric. You've got to go!"

When he didn't answer and just lingered behind her slowly, she guided him towards the open window urgently, her hands hard on his back.

"Go! Go!"

He pulled her to him as they stood by the window, wrapping his arms tightly around her back, and kissing her. At this rate, if they kept on going this way, he would definitely be inviting himself in for a quick, early morning death.

"Go, Eric!" She pushed him away before her body became too unwilling to let him go.

He stepped over the ledge of her window and sat for a moment, looking at her, the breeze ruffling the strands of his short blonde hair. Whenever he looked at her like that, with gentle tenderness, it would make her feel she needed him more than anything else in her entire life, more than anything else she'd ever known. But she had to be responsible here.

"Eric, so help me, if you..." And she hadn't needed to say anything else. A moment later, he was gone.

She sighed, feeling a mixture of both relief and longing settle in.

She turned back towards her bed. The only reminder of him ever being in her room for the night, was the messy sheets.

* * *

She went downstairs to make herself a fresh brew of coffee before work. Having stayed up all night with Eric in her room, she felt tired and dead on her feet. Those late nights spent with him were gradually taking a toll on her body, she realized, when as she stepped down the stairs, she caught herself dragging her feet. But it was well worth it; Spending late nights awake was worthwhile, if it meant she could spend time with the vampire she loved. Tiredness was only a small price to pay, considering how good it felt to spend time with him.

Just as she reached downstairs and entered the kitchen, she found her older brother, Jason, sitting in a chair with his laptop computer as company, his hands hovering over the keyboard.

"Oh, hey Jason," she said, as amiably as possible while she went straight over to the coffee pot on the stove. "Want some coffee?"

He smiled up at her thankfully. "Yes please, sis."

She fussed around with making their coffee for several minutes, then turned to set his steaming mug beside his elbow. She stood behind his chair, curiously looking over his shoulder. Her brother was watching a YouTube video, which hardly surprised her in the slightest; Jason had a new obsession with the damn thing, one she could never quite understand. The video he was watching was in bad-quality; All she could make out, was unclear blurred shapes and jumping shadows. The audio filtering out from the speakers was just as bad; All she could hear, was a faint crackling noise, and muffled voices.

"What on earth are you watching?" she asked, as she held her hot cup of coffee over her nose, inhaling in the inviting, homely smell.

He shifted around in his seat to look up at her with enthusiasm. "Here, I'll start from the beginning. It's pretty fucking hilarious. I mean, how gullible do you have to be?"

She bent down over his shoulder and watched more closely, as he replayed the footage from the beginning again. Obviously, the footage was taken by the person's own handy cam themselves. The dark, unclear footage was clearly recorded by the person holding the camera behind it, and the video quality was shaky. "_He's over here,"_ the man behind the camera hissed, on the verge of laughter. "_Quickly_."

Suddenly, a white figure whirled into view on the screen, but even then, it was still far too difficult to detect them in the dark.

"Jason, do I really need to watch this?" she asked, in a furious whisper. "It isn't a dirty porno, is it?" Judging by how badly recorded the footage was, it seemed it was heading that way.

"No, sis. It's actually pretty hilarious. You'll laugh," he said obscurely, pressing up the volume.

"_Go, go_," another person - a young woman- goaded behind the camera, and then the picture swerved as the person holding it and recording the footage began to run. Heavy footsteps scuffling against concrete. Uneven wheezes of breaths taken. A suburban street. The white figure turning into a man as they eventually got closer. The sound of a match scratching and flickering to life. A flame. Silent flames shooting up, covering the man's body. "_Die, you filthy fanger_," the voice behind the camera yelled._ "Holy shit, that was unbelievable! Did you see that?" _And then the footage went blank. The recorded video was finished.

"Oh, my God," Sookie whispered, realizing her hands were shaking.

Jason swiveled around in the chair, giving her an uninterested glance. "What?" He asked, over his coffee cup. "That was hilarious, right? Did you see the way that dumb vampire shot up into flames? You'd think he would have run from them, wouldn't you? Dumb shit, as if he didn't realize the minute they lit that match up..." She ignored her brother and pulled up a chair, collapsing into it without a word. "You all right, sis? You look pale."

She didn't answer right away, she found she couldn't. She covered one hand over her mouth while the other went instinctively to the pendant on the necklace Eric had given her, feeling how unsteady her fingers were.

"So much hatred and evil," she finally managed, in a toneless whisper. All she could see, was Eric. _What if they did the exact thing to Eric one day? What was wrong with the world they were living in? What type of person can purposefully hurt another unprovoked, whether they be a vampire or otherwise? A seriously ill and evil person could only be capable of such a dreadful thing. _

She felt Jason's eyes boring into her, watching her with concern. Then, with all her might, she leaned over in the chair and sent a swift and heavy backhanded blow into the side of his head.

"What the hell, sis?" He cried out, cradling his head with his hands. "What the fuck was that for?"

She took a deep breath and stood. Her appetite for coffee was thoroughly ruined.

"For being a cruel son of a bitch, that's what," she said. "How can you possibly find that funny, Jason?"

He held up his hands to her, declaring peace. "Oh, come on, sis. It was just a bit of harmless fun! Don't you stand there and tell me you wouldn't have done the same fucking thing, if a vampire was standing right in front of you." She rolled her eyes and went straight to the sink, pouring the entire contents of her steaming coffee out of the mug. "It's the right thing to do," Jason went on heatedly. "It's what those filthy bloodsuckers deserve. They ain't right in the world, Sookie. We should end them. End them all, put them down. They're a perversion of nature."

"_Your _a perversion of nature," she hissed indignantly through her teeth.

"Oh, hey now," he whispered, dejectedly. "Don't be like that, sis. What crawled up your ass this morning?"

"You need help, Jason. In fact, all those people do." At that, she stormed out of the kitchen. She could feel his eyes on her as she left. He was probably wondering about her erratic behaviour, but it was fair enough. The video was disgusting, and Jason ought to have known better.

Halfway through slipping up her pair of work shorts, her Grandmother knocked gently on her bedroom door. Sookie let her in, and stepped aside, braced and ready for everything her Grandmother was about to fling at her. She was still wearing her long-sleeved cotton nightgown. Obviously, she had only just woken.

"What happened downstairs with Jason?" she asked Sookie. "That boy looked upset, and asked me what was wrong with you." Sookie sighed and flapped her arms around in annoyance. _Take it to Jason to be completely clueless._ As Sookie began to explain, her Grandmother sat on the side of her made bed, watching her while she slipped on a clean pair of white socks, an expression of utter bewilderment forming over her face.

"I thought you ended things with the vampire like a good girl, dear," her Grandmother said softly, after a while. "I know it's hard. But it's just the way it's got to be, pet. There isn't any other way, and ending things is the right way."

"Yes, I thought he had ended it too, Gran," she admitted honestly. "But turns out, he hadn't. And, honestly, I wouldn't want him to. Not ever."

"Does he, you know?" Her Grandmother leaned over and whispered it, almost as if she was telling her Granddaughter a horrifying secret, "Does he... bite you with his fangs?"

Sookie paused from tying her shoelaces in shock. For some reason, she never expected her Grandmother ever to be asking her that. "Maybe he does," she whispered, with a shrug. "What does that matter? He's a very good person. A good vampire. What difference does that make?"

Her Grandmother smiled. "Sookie, dear. You speak as if you've met a whole pack of vampires. But they can't all be good, my dear. He must be the exception and, even then... there still must be some dangerous secrets lurking away in there somewhere." She said it matter-of-factly, as though she was simply telling Sookie the degree of the weather, or what time it was.

"Gran, Eric's a good vampire. He would never do anything to intentionally hurt me."

"Oh, yes. I think a vampire could be as nice as pie if they wanted to be."

Sookie went ahead with tying her shoelaces, trying to pick her words with care. "Gran, we've seen each other for very nearly over ten months now. And not once, in that time frame, has he ever been... terrible to me. I know him. He's different from all those other vampires you hear of."

Grandma shook her head. "Goodness, Sookie. Of all the things you've heard about them on the news, all those reports... those murders, you got to know they're capable of some extremely terrible and evil things."

"Right. And just like humans, Gran, we are all capable of extremely evil things. Hasn't all those vampire attacks showed us that? Half of them... were done out of hate, and without reason. We're all the same, I think. We're all capable of extreme cruelty. Even you, or me. You never know what we're capable of, unless we're put in a situation where our morals are tested."

"Do you ever find yourself worrying for him?" Her Grandmother asked.

"Oh, Gran. Every minute. Every day."

Her Grandmother smiled sadly. "Yes. It's that way, isn't it?" And then she turned, fluffed up Sookie's pillow, and left.

Sookie stood for a moment, staring after her. She felt a surge of self-pity from within. _Yes, it's that way. Isn't it? Golly, it was, wasn't it?_


	5. Chapter 5

**Hey guys,**

**I want to thank you all so much for your wonderful reviews and all the alerts I've recieved. They have truly made my day.**

**Hope you enjoy this one. I liked stepping into the mindset of the bad-guys. And yes, sorry but Nora isn't Eric's sister. She is purely a baddie in human form. Hope this explains roughly some of it. Feel free to let me know your thoughts, I always love reading them :)**

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_**Chapter Five**_

Nora Gainesborough was a startling young woman, serious about her job. Some would say far more dedicated than even the far older enforcers in the field. Roman Zimojic's star enforcer was born in Surrey, England, having moved with her parent's to America at the tender age of six years old. Her role in the Human-Vampire Enforcement Agency was questionable, to other member's of the Agency, at least. Often looked down upon by her peers, and doubted her abilities. But Zimojic saw her and appreciated her for what she was: A hard-ass, ferociously devoted to her job in making certain vampires and humans toed the line and lived by the Agencies firm rule-book.

On the outside, she was unimpressive and appeared as harmless as any young woman in her late twenties could be. She was a slender, pale young woman, whose hair was shoulder length and black, and her style made her seem quite girlish and childlike. Of course, he had his doubts once he first employed the young woman at first. She was extremely argumentative and enjoyed speaking her mind, even at the most inappropriate of circumstances. The moment she shot her mouth off at him during the very first conference meeting she had attended, he wanted to tell her to learn some manners, come to respect her elders, and dismiss her right on the spot. But he also saw something within her, something that made him reluctant to let her go easily.

For a month, he was unconvinced.

She had trouble fitting in, especially when it came to the older generation of workers in the field. She would constantly provoke them, and one occurence instantly came to mind for Zimojic, where the insolent young English woman had even succeeded in making one of her older enforcers, a grey-haired women in her sixties, cry. It was unwarranted and uncalled for.

After a month of constant trouble from her, he had called her into his office, fully determined on giving her an instant dismissal. Nora had listened to his reasonings in silence, and when he went on, explaining that her attitude was unbefitting for a role in the field, it was then she had raised her eyebrows and scoffed, slouching back in the chair. Zimojic couldn't believe the gall the young woman had, and when she had interrupted him halfway through his speech rudely, he almost saw red.

"You're letting me go then, are you? Well, all your reasons are utter bullshit. I am the best woman for this job, and you bloody well know it. Maybe the reason I've caused all this nuisance, is because I know what I'm good for. I refuse to sit back and take it. You've been cotton-balling me ever since I first arrived here. I may be young, yes. I may be a young woman, but I know where my capabilities lie, and that is dealing with the gritty side of this. I want to be involved directly in the action. I want to deal with vampires, I want to serve out their punishments, and do you want to know my reasons into why?"

Zimojic had sat there for a moment, utterly speechless, and beside himself. Then, after gathering his wits, he had waved her on resignedly. He knew by then that the young woman was one to not sit back quietly. She would get her word in, and everyone else would be damned if they not sit back and hear it.

"I am the best woman for this job. I will sit here and tell you this right now, in pure confidence, that I have no sympathy for the vampire kind whatsoever. I believe they are an abomination to the human race and if there was some legislation that allowed humans to freely team up against them and slaughter them until they were all abolished from this very earth, I would be the very first in line."

That had definitely caused Zimojic to sit up and take more serious notice then.

He couldn't understand how such hatred and rage could be hidden within a person, especially one of her juvenile age. It was indisputable to him then that she was, in fact, right for the Vampire enforcement field. She had a steely gut, and the idea of sentencing punishment out to all Vampires who went against regulations seemed to unperturb her alarmingly. But he had witnessed this resolve in most of the workers in the field; They all assumed punishing vampires and humans would be easy as pie. It was only once they jumped right into the net, did they realize just how challenging and physically draining the job was. Zimojic had witnessed even the most stoic and hard-hearted of men call it quits after several months. They went into the job with a fleeting confidence assuming it would be without difficulty. But what they did not understand, until several months in, was that vampire torture could almost be considered in the same category as human torture- though he wouldn't dare speak that out loud. There was bloodshed, and anguish inflicted. Often, in the firing line, it was only then an enforcer could easily have mistaken a vampire to have a true semblance of humanity, because human and vampire suffering was much the same.

"I thought that was what was being teached here?" She went on carelessly. She was getting far too cocky, and Zimojic did not like that. "That vampires are a disgrace and that we ought to kill them all, or at least punish them in order to keep the peace. If we don't instill fear, they will walk all over us. I heard you preach that in one of your lectures, and yet, what are we doing here really? Aren't we all just sitting back on our asses and not doing a single thing? Why haven't the motions been set into place? Why isn't there any regularity around here? You've got over sixty people working for you, and yet hardly enough has been done."

Zimojic sighed and leaned back in his chair, aghast. "And what do you- a subordinate- propose we do?"

"I propose we move into a more regular course of action here." Her words were confident, and urgent. "We instill the fear. Regular punishments for all Vampires who actively go against our authority. Show them who's boss here. We both know the number of the humanrace overlaps the number of Vampires in existance. Use it to our advantage."

"And what are you suggesting, Miss. Gainesborough? That we perform Vampire genocide here?" It was absurd. "It would be considered a controversy, and they will fight back. Even if our numbers are far greater, they have strengths even _you_ cannot imagine."

She gave him a lop-sided smile. "Oh, yes. They are inhumanely powerful. They have certain skills that can easily be used against us, certain skills that can warp our minds." She tapped her temple with a forefinger knowingly. "But you also forget that your field is very educated, and we have all the resources in place. We know all their weaknesses, just as they know our own. But they can grow to fear us, just as some of us have grown to fear them."

Zimojic couldn't ignore that she had peaked his curiosity that day. She was far brighter than she let on."What do you suggest?"

Her smile widened. He could tell she was pleased he was taking her suggestion into serious consideration. "I propose all Vampires residing currently in the United States to be listed and documented, as a strict regulation." He could see her eager mind churning in full gear. "And those who fail to document themselves as existing in the State be put to their deaths by our authority."

Zimojic thought for a moment, pursing his lips. It could very well work. "Yes, go on."

"They will see then clearly that we are the ones that rule this State. They will sit up and take notice that we are the ones in control here." She rapped her knuckles against the hardwood table-top in front of him for emphasize. "We will _not_ fall victim to their powers, and we_ will_ always be a long step ahead of them."

"Proceed. Get to the gist of this."

"We will keep track on all the Vampires listed in the country. You have more than enough men in your field to very well do that job. Any that fail to comply to our regulations, we will punish them. And you know a Vampires punishment more than anyone else, you've learned it by the book. Silver. Extraction of the fangs. Staking." He felt a surge of pride swell his gut at her words. "We will make certain Vampires and Humans do not coexist, we must keep them separated. That is the only way we can show we are the superior race, and that we will remain to always be until the end of time."

Zimojic bit the insides of his cheeks, and prompted her to continue with a curt nod. He could see that she was not quite finished yet; The way her grey eyes lit up, the way she spoke with such passion and conviction, it was staggering to him.

"We both know that when Vampires came out the coffin and illustrated their existence, their declaration that it is possible to coexist with humans was of the utmost blasphemy. Of course, the Japanese and the European have all been misguided and sorely brain-washed. You've no doubt witnessed all the trouble they are experiencing due to the fact they've let Vampires run amok freely in their land. All the murders. All the... blood that Vampires have stolen from us."

He gave out a non-committal grunt. Of course he was entirely aware of what went on in the European countries. Being Head of such a crucial job such as this, how could he not? He had to be informed of Vampire activity, at all times. It was his responsibility.

"The only reason they haven't gained the upper hand on the situation, is merely because they are blind and dim-witted. Oh, and also due to the fact they lack the resources. We aren't. We have resources available to us. We don't want our beautiful land, our wonderful country, to become another casualty of the Vampire race's violence and bloodthirst. We owe it to ourselves, and also to the humankind. We cannot let ourselves fall into the same predicament the other countries have. We _must_ take control."

The young woman had definitely thrown him off the deep end. She was unlike any other he had ever met. She was educated, and her proposals were not at all uncomplishable. She had thought it out very well.

He sat for a very long moment, stroking his chin in silence. She did not break his deep meditative thought; Clearly, she was done for the time being. Several times, he caught the woman squirming in her seat in impatience. After a while, he raised his eyes to her and held her keen gaze. "You're onto a good thing here, I won't deny it."

At that, she sat straighter in the seat, and he could see she was having a difficult time in suppressing a smug grin.

"However, where do you fit in all of this? Up until a few minutes ago, I was about to fire you. Now, I'm reconsidering. You've brought some very intriguing ideas to the table, ones that may very well be accomplishable. What do you want out of this?"

"Not to sound too demanding here, but all I simply ask is for you to give me a chance here and to stop underestimating me. Oh, that and a promotion, of course."

He arched his eyebrows at her. She was definitely far too cocky, but perhaps maybe she had good reason to be. "Promotion?"

"Yes. I would like to be the woman in charge."

"In charge of what exactly?"

"Why, in charge of dishing out punishments, of course."

He sighed heavily through his nostrils. In that aspect, she was similar to all the other workers he had employed to partake in that line of field. Once she truly got into the bump and grind, she would realize just how laborious it was. "You may think you would like to be in charge of administrating Vampire punishment now, but once you are actually doing it, is another matter altogether. Even the most unemotionally invested of my men have thrown in the towel after a few months, demanding vacations. Somehow, I don't feel a woman is right for it."

"Codswallop," she spat out through gritted teeth. "There you go, underestimating me. Just give me a chance here, it is all I am asking. Give me a chance to prove how fitting I am for this job, and that gender, or age, or otherwise, is not a factor when it comes to me."

She peered into his eyes with such hopefulness, with such sincerity, he felt all resolve crack and crumble. It was unsettling. Usually, when he had assigned half of his members into the torture side of it, they would be left reluctant and unsure they were capable. "Why exactly are you so persistent in getting into this particular side of the job?" It was quite sadistic, really. Hardly any women throughout the years had shown such enthusiasm as she had to get involved into that particularly unpleasant side of it.

She looked him straight in the eye. "Honestly?"

"Yes, honestly. I wouldn't be asking, otherwise."

"It is quite personal, my reason exactly."

He was quickly beginning to lose his patience with her. For the first time, he rose his voice at her. "And what's personal about it?"

"Well, it is because when my family relocated to this country and when... Vampires had finally made themselves known... my..." She paused for a moment, and Zimojic noticed a severe change in her expression. She looked almost uncomfortable. Unsettled and distraught, almost. She cleared her throat, and went on, her mouth pinched tight into a grimace, "My... my father was attacked." He stared at her, paralysed by her admission. He wasn't expecting that answer at all. "It was a... a vampire. He was centuries old. He couldn't... contain his hunger." He caught on to the way she shivered, and stroked her neck. "One morning, my Mother noticed he wasn't inside the house. So we... we went out to the farm and there, I saw him." She gave him a tight-lipped, bitter smile, and Zimojic tried his very hardest not to let his sympathy show. "It was so... demoralizing, really. His death... the way he lay there, in a puddle of blood, and his neck..." She stroked her neck again. "Undignified. All torn and... ripped apart his flesh." She shivered again. And then, she brought her hands up to her eyes, and he thought he heard a dry sob escape her throat. She sighed weakly, and seemed to withdraw and retreat into herself."Fuck, please don't make me have to relive it all over again. I do it enough in my dreams." She held up a hand, and breathed deeply. "I know it is quite unfair, hating an entire race for one beings doing, but I... I can't help it. It has tortured me for years."

"I'm sorry." He didn't know what else to say.

She nodded. Then gave him what seemed a forced smile. "Thank you. But really, that isn't good enough. Your apology. But that is beside the point." She tossed her head violently, and seemed to calm herself. "I relish it, I've bathed in the thought for years. Killing Vampires. Ending them. Retribution." She fixed a serious look onto him. "Now that is why I believe I am the best woman for the job. I have no personal attachments, and due to my father's passing... it will forever be unlikely. In you accepting my promotion, it will give me the... peace that I seek." Another sob. "Please. _Please_."

He noticed her hands were trembling. At first, he couldn't find his voice. He felt ill with pity for the young women. All he could manage, was a nod, in which she replied by rising from her chair and laughing in victory. Then, she walked around to where he was sitting, and slipped her hands over his shoulders from behind. Zimojic was positively stunned.

"Thank you." She kissed him lightly on the cheek. "I will not disappoint you, I swear it!" He patted her hand, and once she released him and left, only then, could he reclaim his thoughts.

He had still been filled with indecision that day.

_But by God, she did not disappoint_.

At first, he was overcome with confusion over the young girl. When the time came for her first administration of punishment to a homosexual Vampire who had been known to be mixing with a Human, in secret, over the months, he was surprised by how loyal she was to her words in his office that day. When he overlooked her injecting the Vampire with silver, he noticed she did not flinch. She showed no outward sign of emotion, even when the Vampire's skin began to flake and sizzle off, due to the fact she had given the Vampire the incorrect dosage. She had given him four times the amount, and all she merely did, was sit back and observe him as he lay there restrained to the chair, screaming away.

At first, Zimojic wondered if there was something she was missing. Some vital part inside that empathized, even over a Vampire.

But then, he quickly came to realize, it was her own way of dealing over the grief of her father's death. Within time, he let her go on, without concern. He also noticed she was missing out on a lot of personal time. Surely, a young and attractive enough woman like Nora would have had plenty of friends, and even a decent boyfriend to go home to at the end of the day. But as he closed up every night, he would notice her sitting around at her work station, busying herself. While he admired she took her role seriously, she had to have a social life every now and again. Sometimes he would even have to remind her gently to go home and get a good night's rest. She would look at him as if he was asking something so outrageous of her.

Tonight, was much the same.

He packed his set of documents into his suitcase and noticed her sitting at her work station, writing underneath the dome light of her desk lamp. Sighing, he walked briskly over to her, and placed a hand on her shoulder. She yipped, startled, as though he had just given her an electric shock. Obviously, whatever she was up to tonight, it held her concentration completely.

"Fuck-sticks," she gasped, clutching a hand over her chest. "You scared the living daylights out of me." Quickly, she brushed her notes away. She twisted in her chair to give him a funny look. "Let me guess. It is now time for me to get home and sleep?"

"Yes," he told her sharply, with a weary sigh. "Surely, whatever you're doing, it can wait until tomorrow, right?"

"It could." She shrugged, eyeing him speculatively. "But I'm on a roll here. No rest for the wicked, I'm afraid."

"Just what are you working on exactly?"

She looked very pleased he'd asked. That was Nora, always seeking for his approval. "I've just noticed a pattern," she explained, downtrodden. "There has been a significant rise in the number of offenses involving Human-Vampire consorting." She sighed, glum in manner. "Our treatments... they're resisting."

Zimojic was baffled. "What do you mean?"

"Of course, we know our treatments affect them. But they don't seem to be learning. The message doesn't seem to be sinking in. In fact, my treatment tonight, with a Vampire... he seemed downright mutinous."

"Right." He pursed his lips. "How so?"

"Well, the treatment affected him, really. It was quite... odd." She paused, and licked her lips. She had been stuck on this Eric Northman Vampire all evening. "He declared he actually loved the human he's been offending with." Zimojic grunted. _A Vampire loving a Human? Inconceivable. Impossible._ "I know, I know. Highly unlikely. They do not possess even the capability to love. But the patterns there. We don't seem to be getting through to the Vampire's any longer. It's almost as if they are actively resisting our authority."

He could see that familial shift of her smart and brilliant brain working overtime.

"I'm thinking a new direction of course here."

"Go on."

She hesitated for a moment, before fixing her eyes on Zimojic .

"It's unethical, sure. But... what if the punishment extended to Human's? What if... we practised it on them? Unlikable as it is to have to admit it, but Humans, we...we bow down to submission far easier. Why not extend our punishment to Humans?"

Zimojic stared down at her in wonder. And so, a fresh idea formed.

**Hope you enjoyed this one? Please let me know, I love hearing your thoughts. Thanks so much for reading :-)**


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